STONEYBATTER CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING – December 6th!
This year’s lighting of the Stoneybatter Christmas Tree will take place at 7.30pm on Wednesday, December 6th next! As, has been the case in recent years, the Christmas Tree will be located beside the Millennium Stone on Manor Street at the junction with Aughrim Street and Prussia Street. Dublin City Council will provide complimentary refreshments afterwards in the Parish Centre on Prussia Street. As Chairman of the North Inner City Area Committee, I and my colleagues hope you will be able to join us on December 6th!

PROGRESS REPORT ON GRANGEGORMAN REDEVELOPMENT
The Grangegorman Development Agency (GDA) is working to advance the various building projects on Grangegorman campus. In terms of the main new build aspects of the redevelopment project, contractors are currently carrying out testing on the site in preparation for the start of construction works begin on the Central and East Quads, early in the new year. Assessment of the tenders submitted by possible Design Teams for the Residential Care Neighbourhood is ongoing with a preferred Design Team to be selected by years’ end. A planning application is likely to be submitted to Dublin City Council this month for permission to construct the Library in the new Academic Hub. The new Primary Care Centre is nearing completion and the aim is to have the Audiology and Ophthalmology facilities installed by Christmas. If you have further questions or queries arising from the details provided above, please contact me at raymcadam@gmail.com.

LUAS CROSS CITY – OPENS ON December 9th!
Major construction work on delivering the new LUAS Cross City has concluded. However, finishing works on the public realm and platforms are nearing completion as is the trialling of the new LUAS network and timetable, before the official opening takes place on December 9th next! Given how beneficial LUAS Cross City will be for Stoneybatter residents, especially in the run-in to Christmas, I thought it useful to share with you the LUAS Cross City timetable for both northbound and southbound trams including the Phibsborough, Grangegorman and Broadstone stops.

STONEYBATTER FIRE BRIGADE DEPOT TO REMAIN….FOR NOW!
Local residents have contacted me expressing concern about the possibility of the Dublin Fire Brigade Depot on Stable Lane, just off North Brunswick Street being sold by Dublin City Council. These concerns arose because of the level of development taking place on sites located near to the City Council owned site. In order to address these concerns, I sought certainty on the matter from the Chief Executive and raised the issue at the November meeting of the Council. The Chief Executive’s response advised that Dublin Fire Brigade uses the site on Stable Lane for its workshop, garage, stores, laundry. The Fire Brigade also uses it for the sterilisation of its equipment and Ambulances. The reserve fleet is located at this facility. The Chief Executive has now confirmed to me that Dublin Fire Brigade will continue to use these vital facilities “until alternative arrangements are made”. I will continue to monitor developments in this regard across the coming months and will keep local residents fully updated.

DUBLIN 7 EDUCATE TOGETHER N.S. – UPDATE
Richard Bruton T.D., Minister for Education & Skills has advised me that following the decision of An Bord Pleanala to agree to a three stream school or twenty-four classroom, building on the Grangegorman campus, the school building project is being advanced. The project has been devolved to the Grangegorman Development Agency (GDA) for delivery. Currently, the project is at Stage 2(a) of the architectural planning process, which is the detailed design stage. From the information shared with me by the Department of Education, I understand that a planning application is being worked on by the Grangegorman Development Agency. A draft planning application will be submitted to the Department for Education for examination and approval later this year. Before that application is lodged with the Planning Department of Dublin City Council, I will work to update you further.

ADELPHI HOUSE – 153 NORTH CIRCULAR ROAD
Health Minister, Simon Harris T.D. and officials in the HSE have confirmed to local Minister, Paschal Donohoe T.D. and I about advancing the refurbishment of Adelphi House for autism services. The HSE has begun the tendering process to select a design team which will be responsible for finalising the planned refurbishment of this protected structure. We expect that final designs and costings will be agreed by late Spring 2018 which will allow the HSE advance a planning application with Dublin City Council. Both Minister Donohoe and I are continuing to work with local residents groups to ensure that they are fully updated and informed of progress with this project.

DUBLIN CITY DEVELOPMENT PLAN – STUDENT ACCOMMODATION AMENDMENT
Earlier this year, I was a co-signatory to a motion that sought to amend the Dublin City Development Plan 2016 – 2022 with regards to guidelines for the development of student accommodation within the city. This amendment contained a proposal to widen the area within which, applicants for purpose built student accommodation should submit evidence demonstrating that there is not an over-concentration of student accommodation within an area, including a map showing all such facilities within 1km of a proposed development site. The purpose of the amendment to the Development Plan was to provide clarity and enhanced level of information on the existing and proposed number of students living in the area. Despite, some opposition by political parties not representing the North Inner City, the amendment was successful. Therefore, future planning applications seeking permission for the construction of purpose built student accommodation will have to comply with the amended Section 16.10.7 of the City’s Development Plan, otherwise known as the planning rule book.

NEW CITY COUNCIL ONLINE HOUSING APPLICATION SYSTEM
Since October 24th last, Dublin City Council has established a new online system to allow applicants for alternative housing to track the progress of their application. This new online system enables applicants to view their position on the housing waiting list. If you have applied for alternative housing with Dublin City Council, you will be able to view your position on the relevant area list you applied for or whether you have a priority status on either medical or welfare grounds. Applicants can access this new system at http://www.dublincity.ie/HousingOnline by logging on using your Housing Application Number and your Date of Birth. Officials in the Housing Allocations Section of the Council have begun notifying all applicants that the new online system has gone live. If you have any questions or queries arising from the details above, please email me at raymcadam@gmail.com.

DUBLIN BIKES – CONFIRMATION OF WORKS TO BEGIN!
Since October last year, I have sought on four separate occasions, an update from Dublin City Council on the delivery of the Dublin Bikes Stations in and around Grangegorman, following the allocation of €1.5m in funding by local Minister, Paschal Donohoe T.D. in Budget 2015. Huge work has been done by a small number of Council officials to finalise locations for the installation of 15 stations. Works were to begin later this month but I have now been informed that the timeline for construction and installation has slipped to the second week of January. This delay has been caused by the difficulty in achieving an acceptable design solution for stations 1-3 at Grangegorman Lower, given the complexity of traffic management changes necessary to accommodate all users in this area into the future (such as taxi, bus, mobility impaired parking, etc) at the college campus. Between now and mid-January, the Council will undertake Road Safety Audits of the remaining preferred sites. Therefore, the current proposed locations are as follows:
1. Grangegorman Lower No1, Dublin 7
2. Grangegorman Lower No2, Dublin 7
3. Grangegorman Lower No3, Dublin 7
4. Rathdown Road, Dublin 7
5. Charleville Road, Dublin 7
6. Avondale Road, Dublin 7
7. Phibsborough Road, Dublin 7
8. George’s Lane, Dublin 7
9. Western Way, Dublin 7
10. North Circular Road, Drumcondra, Dublin 1
11. Mountjoy Square East, Dublin 1
12. Killarney Street, Dublin 1
13. Buckingham Street Lower, Dublin 1 (West side)
14. Merrion Square South, Dublin 2
15. Wilton Terrace, Dublin 2
16. Buckingham Street Lower, Dublin 1 (East side) [contingency]